A New Me
by LuckyDuck932
Summary: Lampwick wished to become a human again ... at a price . Now he is on a quest to stop Pleasure Island and prove him self brave , truthful and unselfish . Hope you enjoy!
1. Transformation

It was early morning along the coast of Tuscany. So early in fact , that the sun hadn`t peeped over the horizon and spread it`s golden hands and rosy red fingers on the blue sea to make the waves sparkle in the light. It was still dark outside with the stars twinkling like polished diamonds over the sleepy old sea coast village of Collodi . Most people would still be snuggled up in their warm beds , dreaming careless dreams no matter how outrageous the longing was.

But , only a fair few miles down the coast near the salt mines , a donkey dreamed his dream. He was not asleep -but he still had his wishes weighing heavily on his heart. His cruel enslavers where hitching him up to his cart , along with countless other donkeys. This little donkey - though having the appearance of any other donkey - wasn`t truly a donkey. He was a boy long ago . And his name was Lampwick.

Being a donkey had been a punishment for acting like one , as he had figured out . He went to Pleasure Island , intending to have a few weeks with no school and no rules . But , after a few hours of pure , unsupervised bliss , the curse took in action. A tail popped out from the seat of his pants , his ears sprouted into that of a donkey, and hands where clenched to form into black hooves. Magically , in one night , Lampwick the human was transformed into nothing more than a donkey that`s only purpose was to pull heavy carts and perform back-breaking manual labor.

Lampwick despised every minute of being a donkey. Every day passed as though it was an eternity. But amazingly , three years had ticked by. Three long grueling years of tiring labor underground, nudity , an awful stench about him, and only being feed on Sundays - the only days the miners where off ( with the exception of Christmas and Easter).

He wished he could be free , a boy again! Lampwick feared that he wouldn`t live to be human . He could die of starvation or over worked , like many of his friend from Pleasure Island .

The wishing star was right above him , sparkling far more beautifully than any other object in the sky. It had the shine of a new gem that had been placed against the raven black sky. Long ago , his mother had told him about the magic of a special star in the sky. Of course Lampwick had long since out grow such a belief , discarding it as childish. But he was desperate and anything that allegedly could help he was willing to try.

As the miner placed Lampwick`s reign ring on along it his collar , his moved his head up towards the sky braying quietly " Star light star bright , first star I see tonight , I wish I may , I wish I might , have the wish I make tonight." He bowed his head again , the words echoing in his mind and appealing to his ears. To be a human.

That was it , plain a simple. He would give up anything thing to be a human again! Not that he possessed anything really valuable - all of his humanly things where at his home . But if he had to trade anything - he would give it all up for hands and feet to take the place of hooves.

But...  
There was always something to interfere with his dreams . That word but always placed him back on to earth , back to reality.

But nobody would every listen to me. No one could ever reverse the curse and make my dream come true. It`s impossible...

Wishing would get him nowhere. It was just impractical.

The miner who owned Lampwick hitched up the bit into Lampwick`s mouth and in one swift movement leapt upon the cart that would carry the salt back to the loading station. With a click of his tongue , a crack of his whip , and the shrewd saying that Lampwick had heard every morning as a reminder of his state "Move it along, pathetic ass."

Pathetic ass.

The words that stung Lampwick more than any spanking he got as a child and now every whipping session in his life. The words rang in his ears , telling him of what he had become. They made tears come stinging into his eyes , too proud to let them fall.

Lampwick trotted along to the salt mines at a usual pace , with the lingering thoughts of his lost humanity. The cart was driven towards the dangerous cliff sides. Lampwick knew many draft animals - donkeys precisely - had lost their very lives at the jagged rocks and harsh swishing of the sea foam.

All Lampwick wanted as a donkey was to please the miner in charge , so that he might be friendly and decide not to whip him too hard. Lampwick had been hit so many times with that whip , but he never developed a tolerance for it . Ever crack sent fear through his body . When he did get hit , the brutal pain was sharp as daggers and pained him greatly . He didn`t want to get hit this morning.  
Even though Lampwick believed he was going a nice even pace , his speed didn`t please the miner. A crack of a whip in mid air made Lampwick know that it was coming. "Move it along jackass!" He screeched in a horrible , cigarette creaked old voice .

The pain was great and as soon as it`s sting reached his back , Lampwick could feel blood begin to ooze into his brownish red fur. The whip had triggered the scars beneath his fur to begin to leak out oozing puss and undeniable pain. Fatigue weakened his body and he fell to his knees , too tired to carry on.

"C`mon ! Move!" The miner yelled , trying to coax his donkey to move. "Stubborn jackass..." The vile miner raised his whip one more time and fell against Lampwick`s back . Again , more wretched pain came to him.

Lampwick eyes filled with tears as blood trickled down past his eyes from his tuft of hair. I ...I have to go on...

But he couldn`t. He just couldn`t. He no longer had the strength to get up. This was the end , he was going to be bet to death.

A slither of his tears fell down from his eyes and dripped onto the reign. Lampwick then realized that there was something wrong with his reigns and that he could easily slip out. And before he knew it , he was free!

Run , that was the first word to pop into Lampwick`s head. Lampwick , got to his hooves after several painful trips , but soon he was standing properly. He was free! He had to devise a plan to get to town.

But , the miner saw this and ran after his donkey. "Come back here!"He cried , waving his arms around like a maniac. The other miners saw this , chuckling a bit , but soon joined the wild chase.

Lampwick heaved a sigh as soon as he saw how close he was to the cliff. He had no choice but to fall off the cliff. He wasn`t exactly sure of a donkey`s ability to swim .He just had to trust his luck. After hesitating for a moment , Lampwick threw his body down to the rocks and sea foam to dissolved it in the crest of the waves. He let heaven and hell consume him in the waves, letting go every lat memory and dream of his horrific past.

Lampwick hit the water with a splash and sunk below the surface. He thought back of his horrific past. It would of been pleasant to be a human once more though. He wished one last time to become a human.

But suddenly he heard a twinkling noise and saw a blinding light through the sea water. From the vibrant blue light he saw a maiden clad in sparking blue robes. Her blond hair was held back by a tiara with a star upon it . He felt his lungs get full instead of being low on air as soon as she appeared and he felt like he didn`t need to climb to the surface.

"Romeo, I shall give a second chance"' She said in a angelic voice ." And you will be a human again." At that Lampwick nearly gasped , his head was swimming in shock as the words echoed through his ears.

"But , as you have learn , everything comes at a price. " She said quietly , as if to see how Lampwick would respond to this. " You must give up your voice and become mute."

Oh, of course , there had to be a catch ! Lampwick thought to himself .

"You must be brave, truthful, and unselfish and you`ll earned it back." She said . And with a flick of her wand she began Lampwick transformation .

Reddish-brown fur sunk back into his body and the tuft upon his head changed colors from a pitch black to the natural red that Lampwick had when he was human. Hooves divided into 5 sections and grew into fingers and toes . The bit of hoof that stayed on his figures melted from ebony to white to make fingernails. Lampwick felt his legs get less hair and in a flash, ankles and toes had taken the place of hooves.. Face muscles pulled into different directions to make Lampwick`s donkey muzzle into a round face and his long donkey ears shrunk into two human ears. His tail vanished and sunk back into his back.

Soon he was struggling to get above , but he momentarily forgot how to swim . His lungs burned as he was running out of air. He faintly could see through the saltwater , it almost blinded him . He began to kick up and he finally made it to the surface when the sun had spread it pinkish and gold glow on the Italian sky ,completely breathless. All he knew was that he had to swim , swim for his new life ahead of him."

He swam among the fish , looking for a beach to lie down on or maybe a village by the sea . Somebody had to have the heart to give him some clothes and food. There had to be just one soul willing offer him a place to stay for the night. Lampwick knew where he lived , but being stranded in the ocean did not give him the sense the direction. Besides, he didn`t want to go back home exactly. He still had family problems, and now that he was mute , he could not explain the night on the island and his years as a donkey.

All Lampwick could see was rocks - small rocks and giant bolder rocks. In the bright sun , huge bolder poking out of the sea served the purpose as a spot to rest his tired legs for a while and contemplate his situation in life.  
He transformation to human was very sudden . Why did she take pity on him , instead of the other boys ? Why didn`t she help out his other friends as they died of weakness ? Did Lampwick do something that pleased her ?

Finally , in mid-afternoon Lampwick had reached a small beach near a forest. It was abandoned , drift wood and rocks littered the shore , but still it was nice and sandy. Lampwick sat down in the shallows by some rocks, one supporting his back and the other his arm and then sighed in exhaustion . His entire body ached , head to toe seemed to be staggering g in pain. Transformation can really do a number on a person he thought pushing his bangs from his face . He smiled realizing that he was human. He looked closer and pulled his foot from the murky water. Starting now he was going to be a better person. Starting now , he was going to prove he deserved to be a human.

But on the other hand he was embarrassed , for he didn`t have any clothes on . He knew that he had no clothing before but now he had to do something about it. He couldn`t go naked forever.  
That fairy could of given me some clothes he mouthed with a bit of sarcasm . But no sound came out ! He clutched his throat in surprise and shock. True to her word , the fairy did take away his voice .

Lampwick sighed again and crawled onto the sand to stand on two legs for the first time in three years. He stood for a few brief moments , smiling at his attempts , but his legs gave out on him and fell onto the soft sand. He waited a while, before trying again, His legs wobbled in fatigue , but he managed to walk around.

Lampwick was human again and his life was going to start over . He was going to prove he deserved this second chance .

But before he could prove anything , clothes are necessary.


	2. Human Again

Lampwick surveyed the beach for even the slightest bit of fabric to tie around himself. A breeze rustled the trees that stood tall on the hill by the beach , making Lampwick feel even more uncomfortable standing naked. He always felt embarrassed when he was a donkey , but he told himself donkeys don`t wear clothes and that always seemed to help a little. He walked around on the beach looking around the driftwood and rocks and through the swaying long grass close to the banks.

Ahah! He thought. There was a ripped and tattered old sail, sitting upon a broken old dory behind the grass. Along with the sail , Lampwick found some spare rope in which he used to make some sort of toga, draping it over his shoulder and tying it around it waist and chest .It wasn`t very sufficient at curing his uncomfortable feeling about being naked, but it was all he had until someone came along and gave him a pair of clothes.

Lampwick noticed whipping marks all over his back side. He knew they would be on his back for the rest his life, the haunting memory of the time he spent as a slave in the salt mines.

_I wonder where I am _He asked himself , grabbing seat on a rock by the shore line. Lampwick legs felt weak and tired , so he planned to rest a little . _ I did pass a village by the sea, but I don`t know which. _ He sighed heavily. What if this was just a stranded old beach in the middle of no-where? If it truly was, Lampwick didn`t know where to go.

Lampwick had a lot of time to think when he was a donkey . He thought mostly on his sudden transformation and where his life went wrong._ How could of been such a idiot ?_ He asked himself over and over again as they miner whipped and abused him.. _I should of just listened to Mama and stayed in school , _was the most occurring thought.

_But... _ There was that word again, always interfering with his thoughts.

_She loved him . She betrayed our family by having that affair with Marko. _

Anger steamed over him at the sheer thought of that. But hot tears followed .Hurt stung Lampwick`s heart like a dagger .

When Lampwick saw his mother making out with Marko it just made his heart rip right down the middle . All hope for a together family lost with that one kiss in the living room .

Romeo was born one mid-summer night in his family`s home. He knew that before he was born his father didn`t want children. But his momma tried and tried to convinced her husband to just have one , just one little child. Lampwick`s father said no ,every time she asked, ever since the day they got married. But finally he agreed for one. "_Just _one". He added.

Romeo`s childhood , most unfortunately, was not a very happy one. He was made fun of and ridiculed by other older boys because of his father, who seemed to be drunk all the time. Romeo hated going to school because of this. But he tried to impress the other boys by doing things that they said were "cool". He got into smoking and drinking habits because " everyone else was doing it!" When his mother saw that her ten-year old son was smoking cigars and drinking down booze, she scolded him and said " Those nasty friends of yours will get you into trouble!"

When Lampwick ( the kids in school nicknamed him that because he was tall and thin like a new candle ) was eleven he saw his mother making out with that man. The man who always visited her when Lampwick `s father went out for a drink at the tavern . (Lampwick`s father always went out for a drink , no matter what day it was.) When Lampwick walked in on his mother making out with Marko , he was going to ask her when his father was coming home . It broke Lampwick`s heart knowing his mother didn`t even love her husband , Lampwick`s own father .

Later that week Lampwick`s father was arrested as he ran with valuable jewelry out of a shop .He so drunk that he decided to go and steal some jewelry in broad daylight. Even worse , it felt like the entire town was watching. Lampwick never felt more ashamed of his family.

Lampwick`s family lost everything after his father was taken to jail for life . Marko invited Lampwick and his mother to stay at his house after the trial . Lampwick couldn`t bear it any longer, so he ran away to the beach and sat down at the dock. How could his life be so screwed up?

He wished for a place to visit that could take away his problems. He wished there was a place that had no school , no rules, no cops , and certainly no parents. " Hey , Lampwick!" a voice cried.

When Lampwick turned he saw that it was one of his friends. " Guess what?"The kid said , but of course, he did not allow time for Lampwick to guess. " I found out there`s this place called Pleasure Island and there`s no school and no rules! You can do whatever you want!"

Lampwick`s eyes widened. Had his wish already been granted ? "Where do I sign up?" he asked impatiently.

So later that night , at precisely midnight, Lampwick was in a crowded stage coach , pulled by two pairs of donkeys, with all his friends . Half way through the journey, they stopped the coach at the crossroads of Collodi to pick up one more kid. The boy wasn`t very tall, and he had a head full of ebony hair and two bright sapphire blue eyes. They strangest thing about this boy was he was completely made of wood, a live puppet without strings!

There was no more room in the stage coach , so the boy sat alongside Lampwick in the driver's seat. Lampwick flung his sling shoot as the coach started up again to make the journey to the seaport. Lampwick reckoned that he should introduce himself to the kid next to him.

"Me name`s Lampwick." Lampwick said. He turn and spat off to the side of the stage coach ( a habit he picked up a long while ago ) "What`s yours ?"

"Pinocchio." The kid promptly answered as he raised his hat politely.

What kind of name was Pinocchio? Lampwick snickered in his mind. Still, Lampwick tried not to laugh out loud , but he noticed that the kid had a playing card in his hand. _What a strange object to carry, _Lampwick thought before asking, "You ever been to Pleasure Island ?"

"No but Honest John gave me..."Pinocchio tried to get a word in , but Lampwick cut in ,"Me neither. But they say it`s a swell joint. No school no cop . You can tear the joint apart , and nobody says a word."

"Honest John gave me ..."Pinocchio tried to say again , but yet again he was pushed back by Lampwick`s own talking.

"Loaf around. Plenty to eat. Plenty to drink," Lampwick continued , "And it`s all free!"

"Honest John," Pinocchio tried to explain his playing card one last time before Lampwick said " Boy that`s the place." Lampwick then jumped up and resumed practing him aim with his sling shoot. "I can hardly wait !"

Soon the coach reached the beach and rounded the corner to a ominous and darkened dock with a boat . The boat was light up with fantastic lights and banner that waved in the cool September breeze. All of the impatient kids ran to the ship , awaiting to reach the promise land of fun.

A half an hour out to sea they saw fireworks that light up the night sky . A black blob that was Pleasure Island stood in the distance . Lampwick felt the rush of adrenalin shoot up his spine . As soon as the boat docked Pinocchio and Lampwick joined the others , by jumping of the boat and running down the plank to this swell joint.

Sure enough, it was swell , there was an explosion of fireworks and fun . _Wow... _Lampwick breathed getting a glimpse at his paradise . It was everything he heard from his friend and more ! Smell of popcorn and echoing of loud , joyful cries stayed in the air . It was if the island itself had tugged Lampwick into it . He stood in awe , for a moment or two . "It`s just like they said , "Pinocchio sighed , smiling at every which way. "Ain't it swell ? " Lampwick asked Pinocchio who nodded."The Cirrus , firework , one big party !"

Boys ran around the place screaming and destroying . The Ferris wheel turned around and round as kid shoot down the coaster . "Get your cake ,pie ,dill pickles ,and ice cream ! Eat all you can ! Be a Gluten! Stuff yourselves! It`s all free boys! Hurry , hurry!" Shouted a man from a sound system . The only rule was "Have fun !".It was Lampwick`s kind of rule .

Lampwick and Pinocchio ran through the crowd to get food . Lampwick helped himself to a rather large turkey and Pinocchio grabbed a ice cream cone and strawberry pie . As Lampwick and Pinocchio wondered through the park, chewing and nibbling on their food, Lampwick saw a tent with a gigantic wooden gangster telling boys to have a fight. Shadows of boys pulling each other`s hair and knocking each other down where against the yellow striped tent and Lampwick saw loads of other boys grabbing clubs and running inside to join the fight."Oh boy a scrap! " He threw back his turkey and said to the strange boy Pinocchio "C`mon , let`s go in and poke somebody in the nose". Pinocchio questioned, "Why?" but Lampwick promptly said `"Aw... just for the fun of it!"

There was lemonade river and ice cream mountains , a model home that was open for destruction ,and other bad boy opportunities and pastimes . This was fun and his new home .

While the boys played and destroyed the coachman only said "Enjoy!... While you can ."

Until the wee hours of day ,Lampwick and Pinocchio ate junk food , canoed down the Lemonade river , destroyed the model home , and picked fights over at the rough house . They were having a grand time doing whatever they wanted .

But the pleasure turned into horror.

It all started as Lampwick and Pinocchio were smoking and playing pool . Pinocchio wasn`t the greatest at billiards and was no match for Lampwick , but it was Pinoke's first time playing pool and Lampwick had to give his best friend some credit . Pinocchio also looked like he never had a smoke before , puffing timidly on the cigar . It reminded Lampwick of his elderly grandma who sat all day long on her rock chair and smoked her pipe . Lampwick had been smoking for -well he didn`t really know how long ago it was but the leader of the group introduced him into cigars . His momma frowned upon that and said that no son of her was going to smoke at such a young age . _But momma_ _ain`t here he_ told himself .

"Where do you think all the kid went to Lampwick ?" Pinocchio asked , taking short tiny puff of his cigar as he leaned back on chair with his feet on the table .

Lampwick rolled his eyes and said "Oh they`re around here somewheres . What do you care? "Lampwick lowered to check out the situation of the pool ball and figure out the best shot . "You`re having` a good time , ain't` ya ?"

"Uh-huh," Pinocchio said and took three short puffs . "I sure am!"

Lampwick noticed how his friend was smoking and decided to help his friend have more swell time .

"Ah , you smoke like me grandmother . " Lampwick retorted . "Take a big drag like_ dis _!" And with that Lampwick inhaled his cigar , tasting the tobacco . Her though of his mother and her fobbing smoking made the cigar more pleasurable .

"Okay Lampy!" Pinocchio said cheerfully . He copied Lampwick`s drag , but the dummy didn`t know you're not suppose to swallow the smoke and ended up gagging ."Some fun , huh kid ?" Lampwick said but then he notice how green Pinocchio was in the face. Lampwick finished his shot . "Okay slats ," he took another prod puff of his cigar "Your shot ."

Pinocchio dizzily got on the table with his que stick" I...I don`t feel so good," he chocked through gags ." But here goes nothing`... ."

"What`s the matter Slats?" Lampwick joked as Pinocchio eyes boggled from sickness, as though he was going to vomit. " Losin` your grip?"

"PINOCCHIO!" A voice screeched out of the blue. Pinocchio fell flat onto his face and made a gigantic rip in the felt of the pool table with his pool que. The voice that addressed Pinocchio turned out to be a small green bug with a blue top hat and umbrella . _A wooden boy and a green ,talking beetle , what an odd night_ Lampwick thought to himself. The insect hopped on the table just as Pinocchio was going to hit the eight ball .

" So THIS is where I find you!" It said as it hopped onto the pool table. " How do you ever expect to be a real boy? Look at yourself ! Smokin` !" The bug ripped away Pinocchio`s cigar from the boy`s mouth." Playin` Pool!" He kicked the eight ball violently . "Oww!"

Recovering from the kick the bug continued " You are comin ` right home with me this very minute..." Lampwick was curious and decided to get a closer look at this bug who was telling Pinocchio off."Hey !" Lampwick marveled as he plucked poor little Jiminy Cricket up from the pool table "Who`s the beetle ?" The beetle mumbled and cursed as he twisted around his coat , trying hard to escape Lampwick`s manhandling . "Let me go! Put me down!" He said , but it became muffled .

Pinocchio was still sitting on the pool table , who miraculously recovered from his cigar, cheerfully said." He's my conscience! He tells me what`s right and wrong ."

Lampwick was outraged by this. Why would any person need a conscience , someone who just ruins all the fun in life! "What? " Lampwick immediately dropped the bug."You mean to tell me that you take orders from a grasshopper ?"

The bug got angry from that remark . "Grass hopper ?" He said as he popped up from the felt of the pool table. He turned to Lampwick and yelled," Look here you impendent young pup !"The grasshopper hopped on the 8 ball . "It wouldn`t hurt you to listen to your grass hopper ... I mean your conscience ! If you have one ! "

Lampwick wasn`t going to hear it . Besides ,this was Pleasure Island , he could do what he wanted, when he wanted . "Yeah yeah sure " Lampwick sneered ,rolling his eyes " Screwball in the corner pocket." He hit the 9 ball and the beetle was thrown into the corner pocket . Lampwick laughed while pointing the cigar at poor little Jiminy.

The grass hopper got back onto the pool table and took of his coat and hat ." Why ... why you young hoodlum !" Jiminy seethed." I...I`ll... I`ll knock your block off !" The bug gave a few fake punches into the air as if he really could bet up a much larger 12 year old boy .

Lampwick laughed until his sides ached at the bug`s attempt to give him a knuckle sandwich, . This was the best comedy all week !

" I`ll take you apart and put you back together ..." The bug warned as he ran closer to Lampwick.

"Oh! Don`t hurt him Jiminy ! He`s my best friend ."Pinocchio said as he tugged at the bug by his shirt , trying to reframe him from actually throwing a few punches at Lampwick. Upon hearing this , Jiminy Cricket got free and was clearly angered and upset."Your best friend ?" He yelled." And what am I? Just your conscience ! " He picked up his coat and placed it on backwards." Okay... that settles it!"

"But Jiminy!" Pinocchio desperately pleaded , tying hard to be the peace maker. The bug was storming off to the end of the pool table while saying, "You've buttered your bread ! Now sleep in it!"To Lampwick that remark made no sense . _What does bread have to do with this ? _He joked. The bug accidently walked into the corner pocket and fell down the hole once again. Lampwick could not help but laugh at the poor little bug`s suffering. It was just too funny!

Jiminy got back up on his legs after he tumbled onto the floor ." Ha-ha-ha .Go on laugh . Make a jackass out of yourself ." He waved a dismissive hand. " I am through! This is the end!"

Pinocchio pleaded more as Jiminy Cricket stormed off in anger and frustration."But Jiminy !" Pinocchio said sincerely." Lampwick says a guy only lives once ."

The bug was heading outwards the rest of Pleasure Island. "Lampwick! Humph!" He grunted low in his throat , with a tone of hatred. Lampwick then walked over to the barrel of beer and pulled out two mugs that where hanging near it. "C`mon, c`mon . Let him go." He snorted as he poured ice cold beer into the mugs.

"Humph," Lampwick snorted disdainfully. "Hear that beetle talk ," He paused and took a long sip of his beer, chugging it all down his throat, feeling the forbidden pleasure that he mother never allowed him to have." You`d think somtin` was gonna happen to us ." As Lampwick pulled away from his beer to spit , he noticed that Pinocchio had a look of akin or shock about his face and the little woodenhead was pushing away the mug of beer placed beside him. _Guess he`s following` the grasshopper's sermon after all ,_Lampwick thought.

"Conscience " Lampwick muttered as he pouted a ball " Aw phooey!" He then heard the ripping of fabric and he knew that he had tore a spot in his pants. But he didn`t care , the pair that he was wearing already had to be patched up before." Where does he get that stuff?" Lampwick said as he walked over to hit another ball. And then in a mocking tone of Jiminy Cricket he added, " 'How do you expect to be a real boy ?'"He sunk another ball in the exact hole he was aiming for."What does he think I look like ?"He finished his shoot and picked up his cigar."A jackass ?" He took one long drag , soaking in its pleasure and tasting the tobacco.

But to his surprise , Pinocchio answered back "You sure do!" Pinocchio then laughed hard , pointing at Lampwick." Ha-ha ha- _hee-haw_!" The wooden boy gasped in horror and quickly covered his mouth before anymore accidental brays came from his mouth. Lampwick ran over to Pinocchio and pointed at the horrified little boy."Hey!" Lampwick tried to say through his laughs" You laugh like a donkey! Ha-ha-ha _heeeee- haw!"_

Lampwick did the same action as Pinocchio and covered his mouth quickly. This was getting kind of freaky. He didn`t know how he could bray like a donkey like that. It just slipped out of him! In a shaky insecure voice he asked" Did that come out of me ?" But Pinocchio gave the answer he feared : a nod of the head. Lampwick with a shaky hand felt around his face where his nose _should _ of been. But it wasn`t. It was just two slits ... like a donkey! "Oh!"

Lampwick reached up as he felt his entire face , now completely covered in fur ... like a donkey! "Huh," he said. At where two fleshy human ears should of been, he felt incredibly long ears that were fury ... like a donkey! . " What the -? What's goin` on?" He had to be imaging this .It just couldn`t possibly be real!_ Your just drunk and you have a hangover ,_he told himself._ Yeah that`s it . This ain`t real ._

But he could not lie to himself when he pulled his ears down. There they where exactly like any farm-yard donkey`s! " What`s going on?" He ran quickly to the mirror and saw , much to his dismay, that he was no longer a human. He now had a donkey's head plastered onto the body of a human that wore green pants , a white shirt under a yellow vest and brown jacket. Lampwick couldn`t help but scream and shout" I`ve been double crossed !"

He ran throughout the pool hall yelling " Help! Help! Somebody help! I`ve been framed!"

Pinoke! His buddy, his pal! Maybe he knew the answered to all of this! Maybe he could help Lampwick! Lampwick crouched down on his knees and walked that way , pushing poor ,helpless Pinocchio against the back wall." Please ! You gotta help me! Call that beetle !" He grabbed Pinocchio`s suspenders and shook them." CALL ANYBODY!"

But it was too late ...

He felt his hands scrunch into fist as fur spread like a wildfire down his arms. His finger nail took over his entire hands and grew into ... hooves!

He wished his mother was there . He wished he never left her and gone to this stupid isle in the first place ! But he could do nothing now.

When Lampwick got to his feet , he felt a painful force push him onto the ground , to make him stand like a donkey on all fours!

"MAMA?" He cried." MOMMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

He lost his voice completely and brayed for help . Kicking the chairs and table all over the place he noticed that Pinocchio ran out of the pool hall as he grew ears and a tail .

Lampwick was then on his own again . Ceasing kicking and braying he realized the scam . That coachman was cheating them ... He said "Have all the fun you want !" but then he turned them into pathetic barnyard creatures . Lampwick was going to get his hands ... er , hooves on him .

But the Coachman`s helper caught Lampwick before he prevailed from doing so and he was packed up in crate , like every other donkey who where once humans , and the shipped off to the salt mines.

The treated the animals that worked in the salt mine like nothing . The hours he spent in the salt mines were long and tiring. Lampwick never saw the sun rise or fall because they were always underground.

They did feed the donkeys , but not very well. Lampwick grew sick and weak from malnutrition. The owner and miners whip all of the donkeys till they bleed and brayed for mercy . So many of the boy donkeys from the Island passed away that first year. Lampwick had to watch some of his best friends _die _ right before his very eyes_._ He thought back at the others parents wondering where they were and what happened to them . Lampwick's heart was weigh down by the thought of them and how those parents would never know of the brutal pain that their children had suffered.

And now , Lampwick was human again. It was beyond his wildest dreams. But he lacked one thing that he had when he was human. Every time he tried to speak, a dry raspy noise was all that slipped out of his mouth.

Lampwick sighed heavily as he placed a foot into the chilly water and circled his ankle around. He was achy and starving with nowhere to go. If there was a town here he wouldn`t look normal. Lampwick smiled a tad bit at the thought of him strolling along down the street , sea weed still entwined into his hair , a beaten up old sail as his only clothing , and whipping scars along his back. When people would ask him about why he was in such state, he could not respond. It would look rather pathetic.

Suddenly Lampwick heard a voice. In surprise, Lampwick fell off the rock. Another voice could be heard too , a more innocent , childlike voice. Lampwick ran towards the voices in order to get their attention , but his clumsy feet failed him and he tripped to the ground, getting a mouthful of white sand.

"Goodness! " The younger , childlike voice cried as he saw Lampwick. Lampwick`s wet bangs covered his eyes, making sight impossible. He tried to look through strands of wet hair."Are you alright, sir?" the voice asked Lampwick.

The boy helped Lampwick get to his feet. Lampwick saw a glance of the boy. The boy had a head of ebony hair and deep sapphire blue eyes. Lampwick knew instantly that it was Pinocchio. Lampwick gasped and backed up in shock. Pinocchio gasped to and moved and said in a whispering tone "Lampwick?"

Lampwick moved back to get a better look at his best friend. It definitely was Pinocchio , for the boy was dressed in the same Tuscan Tyrolean outfit that he wore the night upon Pleasure Island. But something was different about Pinocchio. Pinocchio wasn`t a puppet any more . He was one hundred percent flesh and blood .

" Who is it Pinoke ?"The beetle that Lampwick had shoot down the pool table years before was standing right before Lampwick. In a somewhat horrified , shocked , angered look about him he pointed with his umbrella as though a sword and shouted" You !" The bug hopped up on the rock. " I thought I saw that last of you three years ago!"

Lampwick felt a moment of guilt having being brought up that way. He truly did feel sorry about shooting Jiminy down the pool table like that. If Lampwick could speak , he would of apologized instantly.

"Jiminy," Pinocchio said , but he did not get to finish before an old man came running down the hill. . He had bright blue eyes, just like Pinocchio , hidden behind a pair of glasses, a grey beard and mustache that still had fringes of a yellow blonde color, and a friendly look about him. In his hand he carried a rather large picnic basket.

" Pinocchio, could you have at least waited for me?" The old man wheezed ." I would... Oh!" He gasped at the sight of Lampwick. " Are you alright?" He asked , setting the basket down by the rocks.

" Father , " Pinocchio said, still in equal surprise. " This was my old friend Lampwick. " Lampwick simply nodded a bit.

Pinocchio gave a look a surprise. " Well , what`s the matter?" Pinocchio said sounding curious and intrigued. " You haven't said a word ! As I remember from Pleasure Isle , you always cut into what I was saying!" Jokingly , he added " Cat got your tongue?"

When Lampwick heard this , he gave a sad look with his deep brown eyes filled with sorrow and grasped his throat while looked down at his bare feet. All at once , Geppetto , Pinocchio and Jiminy understood. " You can`t speak?" Pinocchio asked, with both a sound of concern and disappointment in his voice .Lampwick nodded sadly as a reply..

"Oh well ... " Pinocchio said . Then he became more concern with what Lampwick was clothed in." Are you wearing a sail ?"

Lampwick looked down at the sail in disgust. At least he had some form of clothes. Geppetto implied ," You could come to our home and we`ll get you some clothing and something nice to eat. How does that sound to you?"

Lampwick nodded. It would defiantly be interesting to see Pinocchio`s house. " Well then, " Geppetto briskly said as he picked up the picnic basket. " I guess this picnic will have to wait." And with that , he began to walk up towards the forest , leading Lampwick and Pinocchio to the village of Collodi.


	3. Geppettos Workshop

Lampwick Pinocchio, Geppetto , and Jiminy Cricket headed up to the old wood carvers' place. The breeze swayed Lampwick`s sopping wet red hair and made the toga he was wearing flap up . Lampwick kept on trying to make it stay still .It was getting towards the end of the day and it was cooler now than it was in the afternoon. Still the sun was very warm in Italy and it was betting on his sore whipping marked back . Lampwick was bothered by his feet not being covered by shoes and he didn`t like having pebbles stabbing his feet. Still Lampwick enjoyed looking down and seeing them , for it relieved him for trying to make this seem more than a dream.

As they came closer and closer to the village Lampwick began to feel excited. When he was a donkey he was cut off from civilization and he was placed in a cruel world of the salt mines . Now thought , three years later, he could be around other humans .Lampwick couldn`t help but stare in amazement at the buildings , seeing them in a new light and considering them a privilege

People began to stare blank glares at the 14 year old who was gawking around at the sights of the town, sharing comments with each other ("What is he WEARING? ", "Odd thing to be washed up from the ocean.") .Lampwick tried to blank out the comments and focused on the splendor of being a human again , but even if he was mute he could still hear perfectly .

The approached a small little store at the corner of the street. It`s windows where filled with toys and woodcarvings. Magnificent music boxes where on the main display , and each one has its own theme. Lampwick looked up at the sign on the door , and the brass plate read : "Geppetto`s Woodcarving".  
They stepped onto the broad porch made of cobble stone , as Geppetto dug through his pocket of his trousers. "Key, key," he muttered ."Ahah!" He pulled out a rusty old copper key and placed into the lock. He opened the oak door and lead them inside.

Lampwick thought the window display was amazing , but the main shop was outstanding. From wall to wall of the main room , their where clocks, toys , music boxes galore. The clocks where in singrounczed tick-tocks and it amazed Lampwick that Geppetto had made every single one. They were painted with magnificent colors and beautifully carved.

"Nice huh ?" Geppetto asked . Lampwick nodded . Lampwick was amazed and walked around getting a better look at each one . Just as the hand got though the hour mark Lampwick almost laughed at each of clocks reaction . Almost.

When Lampwick tried to laugh , it only came out as a dry and raspy cough . I guess I lost that too he thought , his happiness brought down by this discover.

Geppetto went into the next room , the kitchen , and pulled out an old , rusty bath tub. He warmed some water over a hearth and the poured it into the tub.

Pinocchio had to give a bright smile every time he looked at Lampwick , but then he realized something after giving a full look over at Lampwick. Lampwick was no longer the Lampwick that Pinocchio use to know. He no longer had that look of curiosity in his eye and that wide , child like grin. No, he had a small ,serious smile and his eyes were filled with remorse and sadness, as though he had seen horrible things and endured pain. His build was no longer the thin candle like build like he had as a child. Sure Lampwick was always thin, but now he was just boney , and with his skin being so pale and sickly , he resembled a walking red-headed skeleton.

Soon Lampwick felt something fuzzy circle around his legs. He realized that is was in fact a small , black kitten , with wide eyes that seemed to say "Why did you bring this boy here?" The cat meowed and starched up Lampwick`s legs. Pinocchio picked up his pet and showed him to Lampwick. "This is Figaro! We gotta fish too!" He spun around to a golden yellow fish in a small little bowl that contained a little stone-carvered castle.

"Let`s get you cleaned up and I`ll get you some clothing." Geppetto said from the kitchen as he motioned to the tub.

He allowed Lampwick some privacy as he tore away the sail toga and got into the bath.  
When Lampwick sunk into the tub he felt calm and pleased to have a bath again after being dirty and smelly for 3 year . He didn`t particularly like baths when he was younger , but after realizing that he had been rolling around in his own filth for three years , it felt nice to be cleaned up.

While Lampwick washed himself in the bathtub Jiminy sat upon a shelf. "Pinoke I`m not all that sure if we should be allowing Lampwick to stay." He said quietly to the little boy. " He`s a bad influence."  
"But Jiminy!" Pinocchio protested. "Lampwick is a person who needs help! He needs food , he needs clothing , he needs a place with somebody to care about him! Most importantly he needs a second chance at life. Maybe he won`t be so bad. Maybe he`ll do the right thing!"

"I don`t know," Jiminy replied , wringing his hands. " I just don`t feel sure about this." He gave a sigh as he turned a music box of a mermaid on a rock around as it played a little tone.

When Lampwick was done with his bath , he draped himself in a fluffy towel that Geppetto had provided , and walked into the bedroom. Geppetto rubbed his chin as he rummaged through a dresser. "What do I have that could fit you?" He eventually pulled out a white shirt , underwear , a undershirt, blue pants , and a blue vest . After Geppetto went back into the kitchen , Lampwick changed into those clothes . He was relieved that for once, he had something to cover himself in rather than go around naked. He could not help but feel humiliated when he was a donkey for not having any clothes.

To his surprise he found that the clothes where very ill fitting , and quite loose in the waist . That showed him how much weight he had lost in the time of being a donkey , because of being so underfeed. You could see his rib cage show through his pale skin .

"But Luckily he found a fine leather belt sitting on the dresser, which made the clothes better . "There ! You`re all set ." Geppetto said as Lampwick walked back into the kitchen. Pinocchio saw sitting at the table and gave a hearty "Hello!"

Lampwick nodded , as if to say hi back . "Well ,"Pinocchio said. "I guess the next thing is to figure out how you became human .But I guess that might not be possible. "Then a idea flickered in the little boy`s head . "Do you reamber how to write ?"

Lampwick puzzled for a moment , biting his lips with his buck teeth . He nodded insecurely. Pinocchio then pulled out a slip of parchment and a pencil from a drawer in the cupboard and then he laid it on the table .

Lampwick picked up the pencil and looked at it. Had he retained his ability to write from all those years as a donkey? Her just had to find out.

At first, his hand shaking with insecurity . But in the end , he wrote everything down. When he was done it went :"When I was a donkey I was whipped until I bleed. But one day when I was pulling a cart from the salt mines I fell into the water and a Fairy woman came and changed me back into a human , but she took my voice so I that I had to learn to be a better person. She said I must be "Brave, Truthful, and Unselfish. I swam back to shore and of all things I ended up at your village."

"Gee!" Pinocchio said as he read over it. "That`s terrible! I`m glad the Blue Fairy saved you. Something awful could of happened to you! Now I`m glad that you`re safe!" He hugged Lampwick, and Lampwick smiled.

He was pleased to know Pinocchio still cared about him. He thought that Pinocchio might of moved on with his life and not care if Lampwick died. Being embraced by Pinocchio felt like somebody loved and cared for him. All that time as a donkey he so lonesome , and even before that he felt quite lonely.

Now he could be part of the human world and feel like he was wanted.

***

Dinner that night was tasty. Geppetto had prepared fine dinner of pasta and bread. Lampwick could not help but notice that Geppetto had given him a larger plate than Pinocchio and Geppetto had. He felt that Geppetto knew that Lampwick had insufficient nutriment for that last few years and decide to make that up. Still Lampwick gave said nothing about it (how could he?) and ate what he was served.

After dinner , Geppetto gave Lampwick a night shift to borrow. He allowed Lampwick to sleep in the attic , which had a nice bed amongst the old dusty trunks and heirlooms.

As Lampwick prepared for bed , he heard a faint knock at the door. It was so quite , that it could almost not be heard. When Lampwick opened the door, he was shocked to see that Jiminy Cricket was standing there instead of Geppetto or Pinocchio.

"Hi Lampwick," Jiminy said ,wringing his hands once again. He cleared his throat and said, "I need to talk to you." Lampwick looked curiously down at the bug , but opened the door wider anyway. He walked to the bed and watched Jiminy hope n the trunks to besides the bed.

"Well, I know I seemed mad at you this afternoon. And I sortta was. It`s just I was so angry at you for calling me a "grasshopper." And it wasn`t just that. I felt like you where leading Pinocchio into some serious trouble. As a conscience , I felt like I need to protect him from the evils of what you were doing. It was just instinct. And if preaching at you was the only way I could get you to stop it and start acting like a good kid, that was what I needed to do.

"But now I can`t hold a grudge against you. You need help , and I`m the Conscience for the job! Now, Lampwick, I can help you sort out whatever thing that sent you from straying from the straight and narrow path. I`ll be able to help you get the tools to prove that you want to have your voice back and stay human rather than be a jackass.  
"You gotta be tough against temptation! You gotta be willing to give up something you love to do, because they aren`t right for a boy of your age! You gotta... Lampwick are you still paying attention?"

But the boy couldn`t off. He had already climbed into bed underneath the quilt and fallen asleep. Even thought the boy was asleep , he still had a fairly large grin upon his face. Jiminy`s scold melted as he glanced at Lampwick sleeping so contently into a soft smile.

"Poor kid," He said somatically as he hopped on the pillow next to Lampwick. " He`s been through a lot today. It`s best just to let him sleep and leave the becoming a real boy stuff for tomorrow." Jiminy smiled again as he said." You`re a hopeless case, Lampwick, and my greatest challenge. Have I ever told you that?" He blew out the candle and jumped off the bed and tiptoed down the stairs to his matchbox bed.


	4. A New Me

The following morning, Lampwick and Pinocchio both headed off to the Collodi school house. It was Lampwick`s first time going back to school since he was a donkey , and it felt quiet awarkward to be back learning again. He never truly enjoyed school, and honestly , he still isn't want to go. But he knew that if being human once again meant going to school and getting an education , he could learn to accept that. Though, this time around he was determined to do well and prove himself that he could be a "real boy "

When they arrive at the school house , Lampwick got quite a bit of attention , but Pinocchio could only answer for him. Pinocchio explained that Lampwick was a friend of his that needs a place to stay for awhile. After that , nobody asked many questions though. They all went back to their own schooling. Lampwick was a bit behind though , but he soon caught up . Lampwick , though he couldn`t talk to anybody , made friends with the other boys of the class . This time around , he wasn`t going to fall into temptation with false friends . He

After school Lampwick helped Geppetto with his wood-carving . Lampwick found out that wood carving was long and tedious work and each of those clocks took many days to make . He got to appreciate simple rewards and learn that life isn`t going to hand you everything you want on a silver platter . Lampwick wished that he had learn those lessons early on in life ,maybe if he knew that he would of no Pleasure Island was too good to true .

Time passed and the days got shorter and colder. Soon ,the boys wore scarves and wool hats on the walk to school. October`s chilly winds sent leaves tumbling down from their spots on the trees and them swept them away from the streets, far off into the distance as November came around. It stayed cold and cloudy , but it felt comforting to know every night to go home and enjoy supper by a warm fire after walking home in such weather.

Then a few weeks after the leaves disappeared , snow began to fall and cover the entire village with a white blanket. Christmas time was approaching and Geppetto was busier than ever in the shop , working nearly day and night on the orders he received for toys and woodcarvings. Lampwick and Pinocchio helped the best they could , kindling the fire, cleaning up wood shavings, anything that could make Geppetto`s long hours more bearable.

Though they both Lampwick and Pinocchio worked hard , they still had time to enjoy being kids. They got into constant snowball fights with the boys on the walk home from school. They both planed sneak attacks , sometimes on each other, and many a night they would come home with their clothing soaked and fingers a bright frozen red, but still laughing giddily on what had happened that afternoon.

Lampwick enjoy all of this . He was glad that he could be a human ,even if he couldn`t talk. It was the simple thing of being human Lampwick missed the most when he was a donkey . Walking on two legs , wearing clothes , being able to pick up stuff where all examples of this . Though in some sense , being a donkey would of freed him from the down side of being human, but Lampwick learned everything came at a price . If growing up and perhaps doing something though he might not always like it was the price of re-gaining his human form once more , Lampwick was fine with that . Dying as a donkey because of little food and too much work scared him more .

Lampwick`s health was also steadily improving . When he became human again , he was pale, boney and weak from all of those years of being a donkey. Now he had become strong and healthy. Geppetto`s clothes fit nicely , and they no longer hung of Lampwick so badly. His whipping scars (the proof that he had been abuse as a donkey) didn`t go away , for they would stay with Lampwick for the rest of his life .But they no longer where a deep red but more of a paler pink, and no longer did they sting as he walked.

Also , Lampwick had grown from an awkward boy into a handsome man. Girls seemed to notice that more and smiled at him , and when he would smile back , they would blush . Lampwick began to see girls in another light as well. When he was twelve he thought girls where strange and never really liked them . Now that he was 14 his feelings towards them changed and he felt different around them . Girls talked to him more than the other boys of the village , perhaps from his lacking in voice . Maybe they thought of him as a "poor unfortunate soul " and took pity on him . Or was it because he wouldn`t interrupt their conversations and nag him "Girls talk too much ! "

One girl in particular ,though, caught Lampwick's attention the most though. Rosa Carino , the only daughter of the rich trader, Alberto Carino. She was very kind to Lampwick , and like to talk to him often. Her younger brother Tino, was a good friend of Pinocchio`s , although Tino did not always make the right decision all the time.

Winter passed and soon the snow melted away. Flowers arose from the ground and the trees grew leaves once again on the trees. Lampwick and Pinocchio spent more time outside after school was finished.

Pleasure Island still haunted Lampwick in his nightmare. Not all dreams , though , where nightmares . Some dreams , however, he wished where real . Those dreams where the kind when he went back to save all of his friends from the unwanted and unexpected transformation .

That was something he wished he could do , help all of the boys who weren`t given a second chance to redeem themselves .

Lampwick`s life was going just swell, until that one day that change everything.


	5. Back to Pleasure Island

Lampwick was fast asleep , but a noise woke him up . A eternal ringing , the sound of a heavenly song . _What the ...? _ he thought looking up at the window .

A star , the wishing star seemed to grow closer . It`s amazingly bright brilliance nearly blinded Lampwick. Not only did Lampwick hear the sound of music but he heard Pinocchio stir from his bedroom down stairs .

Out of the light stepped the Fairy Woman in her long flowing robed of blue ."Hello Romeo .." She said looking down at Lampwick .

_You came ?_

"Of course I came . Your un-selfish wish has brought me here . You wished you could help your friends and the bad boys from Pleasure Island .Hopefully all the boys can change from the wicked way like you have. "

_You can understand thoughts ? _Lampwick looked at her.

"I can . You must understand , Romeo , that you taking a risk on going to help the others . I cannot undo the curse that was set upon you by the Coachman . I simply retuned you to look like a human , but unless you stop it , you`ll turn back into a donkey . "

_So .. all of this .. was a lie ..?_

"No. When you regain your voice , the curse shall be undone and you shall return to your full human form , living a normal life . When you go back to the Island , you mustn`t fall back into ill ways . This will turn you back into a donkey quicker than it did before I restored you to human form . "

Lampwick nodded . _I`ve learned my lesson . I won`t go back to my old ways ._

The Blue Fairy smiled . " It is nice to know you are determined to do this . Now to un-do the curse you must trap the Coachman . If you succeed , I shall take care of him and all the boys , no matter where they are now , will return to human form .But take heed Romeo , the Coachman might be able to see who you really are , and thus turn you back into a donkey ."

Lampwick gulped . He knew the Coachman could get a hold of him and turn him back . Lampwick took a glance at his legs and arms . Looking up he sighed _ I understand . But I need to help them . You don`t know what this means to me . I feel guilty that I`m living the good life as a human while others are suffering and if turning back into a donkey is a risk I accept that . _

" Very well Romeo . " The Fairy said . " The Coach leaves ..."

Just then Lampwick heard someone climbing up the ladder . In shock Lampwick looked down and Pinocchio looked back up .On Pinocchio`s shoulder stood Jiminy Cricket . "What are you doing ? It`s must be 11 o`clock ....." The little boy froze when he saw the Blue Fairy standing on the platform of the hayloft .

The Blue Fairy smiled brightly . "Hello Pinocchio . Have you been a good boy ?"

The cricket nodded . "He has ! On of the best boys I know and I`m not saying that because I`m his conscience . "

The Blue Fairy winked to Jiminy . "Good . "

Pinocchio looked back and forth from Lampwick to the Blue Fairy . " What bring you here Miss Fairy ?"Jiminy asked .

" As you might know I restored Lampwick`s human form . Lampwick has also wished to help the other boys , the boys who have fallen for the Coachman`s lie of happiness and care-free lifestyle . He wishes to go back to trap the Coachman so boys in the future shall never fall under the evil of Pleasure Island ."

"But.. but..."Pinocchio stuttered . "Wasn`t he traumatized by that ? I mean , it was a life changing moment ..."

_Pinoke , I know what`s right and I feel that this will help spare innocent boys from facing a cruel life . I`ve changed and I`ll be brave ._

The Blue Fairy shook her head . " Lampwick feels that this is the right thing to do . He is doing something noble for the greater good of those naughty boys . I have heard their pleas and many have changed for the better ."

Pinocchio nodded and finally smiled at his best friend . " Your awfully brave to do this , and I think your going to need someone to help you defeat the Coachman ..."

Jiminy looked at Pinocchio . " You mean your going too ?"

Pinocchio nodded and smiled brightly . " Uh-huh !"

The Blue Fairy got back on subject . " The Coach departs at midnight tonight so you have very little time to prepare . Remember that only bad boys fall under the curse and If you stray away from good that shall be your fate . I wish you two the best of luck . " And with that Fairy backed away gracefully and disappeared into the light with the heavenly tone behind her .

"Let`s get a move on ."Jiminy said .

Lampwick and Pinocchio changed into everyday clothes . As they were leaving , Jiminy suggested . "Why don`t we leave a note for Geppetto , in case he wakes up . "

"Good thinking . "Pinocchio said pulling out some scrap paper and a pencil .

**Dear Father ,**

**Lampwick and I have left to stop the Coachman and help the boys from Pleasure Island . Don`t worry where in safe hands and we`ll be in fine . We`ll be back soon , hopefully by morning .**

**Your Son ,**

**Pinocchio **

Creeping out of the house Lampwick took a deep breath . He gather his courage ,wishing to remain as hopeful as he was with the Blue Fairy . It seemed that when she was around , anything was possible . Now that he was on his own he felt less brave , almost unable to take another step . Pinocchio noticed that and smile back at his best friend . " I know you can do this , it`s a hard thing to go back to a place that changed you life forever."

Lampwick felt better with Pinocchio`s encouragement . They approached the cross roads . Lampwick had a flashback to the first time he rode the coach . He could remember it all , how the coach shook , the feel of his sling shoot in hand , the blue moon high in the sky . Grabbing his wrist Lampwick sighed again .

He was on a quest to stop the villainous Coachman , but it wasn't as easy as the Blue Fairy made it sound . Lampwick might of been 14 , but that still didn`t mean he had the courage of an adult . Trapping the Coachman would take some time . And if their plan failed ? What if Lampwick turned back into a donkey ?

Before he could answer those questions , the coach came up the dirt path .

_It`s now or never . _Lampwick told himself and sighed getting ready to board the Coach to Pleasure Island again . Only this time he had far greater things to do than then loof around and play pool. Much greater ....


	6. Temptation

**Okay, I know chapter 5 was a flop . I hope this one is better than the last.**

Lampwick stood , ready to board the coach . The coach , as it always was , was filled to the brim with noisy little boys shouting things like "Hurray for Pleasure Island " , " Three Cheers for Anything ! " , and "Down with School !". They tossed their hats high in the air , some of the caps where never retrieved by their owners and simply fell to the ground. The coach`s wheels where covered by rags , so it approached silently compared to the boys aboard. 4 sets of donkeys - that 8 little donkeys in all- pulled the huge coach while their owner the evil Coachman whipped them . Many of the little donkeys where weeping .

The coachman pulled his reigns past his chest at the sight of two boys on the road ,the donkeys` hooves creased clomping . "Looking for a ride to Pleasure Isle boys ?"

Pinocchio and Lampwick nodded .

The Coachman gave a sinister smile to himself, but then immediately stopped and changed his expression to a somewhat pitiful look. "I'm afraid there is no room on the Coach , all the spots have been taken up . The seats beside me have been taken as well . But you are welcome to ride on one of my donkeys , it`s only a short ride to the Ferry anyway . "

Lampwick felt uncomfortable by boarding one of the donkeys . He knew what those donkey once where humans just like he was . Pinocchio was also hesitant about going on the donkeys but Jiminy from a top Pinocchio`s hat said . "We really have no choice Pinocchio . It won`t be long until we reach the island. "After some time Lampwick heard a voice."You poor fool ," it said . " You`ll be sorry come mourning . You`ll have to live a life of hard work , like I am living . "

"Lampy did you hear something ?" Pinocchio asked .

Lampwick nodded .

"Imbeciles ! By day break , you shall weep like I am weeping . Boys who abandon their school work and their school masters always come to a foul end . " Another voice said.

"Their it is again! "Pinocchio said looking around . "Jiminy did you say something?"

"Nope ."The cricket answered.

"Well I didn`t either . And we know Lampwick can`t talk ..." Pinocchio said and nearly dismounted the donkey . Looking at the donkey`s glassy eyes he realized who the voice belonged to . "Oh it was you talking ! No , We`ve not here to enjoy ourselves . Where here to stop all of this and turn you back . "

One of the donkey ceased weeping . "You`ve come here to save us ?"

Pinocchio nodded and patted the donkey he was riding on. " Uh-huh . I was nearly turned into a donkey and my friend Lampwick was a donkey for quite some time. "

The donkey smiled bearing his buck teeth , still sniffing and weeping with joy. "That`s great ! Do you hear that Stephan ? We`re gonna be boys again ! I miss my mama so much , and I can`t wait to get home after 3 years of been a donkey . "

The other donkey nodded. " I can`t wait either Alexander !"

Jiminy looked at the donkey . " That`s nice to hear son . But first we gotta stop the Coachman , he`s the one who cons all of those boys ."

The coach approached the rock shore , the one Lampwick washed up on almost a year before . The coach rumbled down a wooden path into a cave of rocks , and finally reached a gang plank . Boys screaming with happiness crowded the walkway . Lampwick nearly fell off the plank as boys much smaller than him ran like gazelles on to the highly decorated ferry . Pinocchio turned around gazing at the coach.

"Remember your promise !" A voice said over the joyful boys . It belonged to the donkey Alexander and he winked as Pinocchio got aboard .

"I won`t forget ."Pinocchio smiled and boarded the boat . He gripped the railing and looked out to sea . " I hope this works " He told Lampwick .

_I'm positive _ Lampwick though nodding .

A kid , maybe about 12 , with blond hair that fell into his eyes was throwing rocks over the side of the boat ."You ever been to Pleasure Island ? " He asked Lampwick . Lampwick shook his head .

"They say is pretty swell . No school no rules and all the candy you can eat ! " He said throwing a rock , but it banged against a larger rock and it sank in the waves of the sea . The sea swayed the boat and Lampwick was often banged against some of the kids . He gazed up to the sky and thought on how he was going to do this .

After a 30 minute boat ride , they reached Pleasure Island at last . The rowdy boys ran of the gang plank shouting . It was almost deafing . But when the doors opened , for the second time Lampwick was awed by the fun and joy . The fireworks went off as with a bang , he could nearly taste the popcorn , and boys of all ages screamed down the rides . Lampwick was nearly trampled by 10 year olds and he had to keep walking . He was intrigued, but yet, he was horrified by all of this.

"Lampwick ?" Pinocchio called over the yells of excitement .It was easy to get lost in the madness of the Isle . Lampwick was the tallest one there and could be easily spotted , and instantly Pinocchio caught up .

_Poor diluted kids _Lampwick thought . _They don`t know what`s comin` ! _ It was hard to believe 4 years ago , Lampwick was one of the children , just looking for a good time .

Pinocchio and Lampwick were herded to Tobacco Road , where naughty little boy excitingly grabbed their smokes and began to puff away . Pinocchio coughed at the foul smelling smoke of the Cigars and Cigarettes . Lampwick `s hands twitched with temptation . He was surrounded by all the things he loved , and he could have none of it .

Junk foods` aroma surrounded it him , making him more hungry than he actually was . He could nearly taste the tobacco`s savory flavor in his mouth and the beer quenching his throat . He could feel the pool cue in his hand clinking the balls artfully and the thrill of the roller coaster . But chains restricted him . He wanted to prove he out stand all of this temptation , and that he wanted to be a human rather than a jackass He didn`t want to blow away his second chance at being human . He lost it once he wasn't going to lose it again ! For once Lampwick heard his conscience , a still but strong voice in all of the yelling . _No , this is all wrong , and you know that . You stronger than this... _

"You coming?" Pinocchio called motioning Lampwick towards the pool hall . Lampwick followed his best friend into the 8-ball building .

"We`ll stay here until everyone has turned into donkeys , then we`ll go and rescue them . " Pinocchio explained . Lampwick looked around , the place was a mess and it seemed like nobody had touched for 4 years .

"Say ," Jiminy said . "Why don`t we clean this place up ? After all , only bad boys change into donkeys and a bad boy would never clean this place up . "

So Lampwick and Pinocchio began to clean up the joint . Pinocchio throw away the cigars , still in the place where they had left them . Lampwick began to clean up the glass , the glass he had smashed after seeing his newly transformed body . Right by the glass shatters he noticed a little bowler hat with a yellow feather . He smile to himself and placed the hat on his head .It was his hat , the hat he had ever since he was a little kid . It even had his name written in it .

He looked in one of the larger shatters . The reflection looked like the old him , but inside he had changed . He had grown as a person , wiser and less self-centered . In fact , people who had known him barley recognized him thinking he was just another red-headed kid and not the street urchin who would steal form their shops and vandalized their property

.Lampwick scavenged the floor and eventually found the rest of his clothes . His white shirt , yellow vest , green pants , and brown jacket where just strew on the floor . He remembered when he kicked them off in rage of his new donkey body . Shivers went up his spine when he thought on how his hands transformed into hooves and began to run on four legs .

Over time , they trio had transformed the old abandon pool hall to it original form .

Slowly , the cheering had ceased and turned to braying . Lampwick didn`t have to look out the saloon doors to know what happen . No matter what age the kids where , they where all turned into jackasses .Lampwick wished he could of stopped it sooner , or at least have Pinocchio tell the other boys of their soon-to-be -fate . But maybe being a donkey would keep them from acting a human donkeys , and they would learn from this .

Pinocchio took a peak outside and said . "Everyone`s gone . You know what we need to do now . "

Lampwick nodded and the three some began to start their mission , the mission to stop Pleasure Island .

**Big action packed chapter is up next ! I can't wait to start it . I'm sorry I threatened to stop A New Me , but one day I thought of a way to fix it up and finish it . There`s only three more chapters to go . Please review if you like it !**


	7. The Coachmans End

**Finally the ending has come . I`ve waited forever to write this , it`s been in my mind since I started writing the first chapter . I also changed the rating to T `cause there is more violence and uses of the term jackass than originally planed . **

Lampwick and Pinocchio sneaked out of the pool hall. Pleasure Island was in ruins, the other boys had really done a number on it . Pure silence sent shivers up Lampwick`s spine . The deafening cries of joy still lingered in the air as well as the faint breeze of cigar and cigarette smoke. The aroma of junk food vanished in the night along with the boys. A soft summer breeze made cigar ashes spread all through the park. Trousers and shoes cluttered the dirty walkway of the Midway. Only the light of the moon and stars above kept the park illuminated. Softly the sea swished along the shore.

The threesome reached the mysterious doors of the park. They were rather large ... and locked . A tall stone wall surrounded the park . Lampwick knew what that wall was meant for , to keep the boys from escaping. Pinocchio tried unlocking the heavy doors , but the rusty lock wouldn`t budge .

"I`m sorry son , but only I can get in there. The door has several open holes, small enough for a cricket like me to get through" Jiminy said, shaking his head .

"Well maybe we could try the old way out. The way we escaped the island the first time", Pinocchio said desperately and frantically .

"No, that`s a cliff and it only leads to the sea. We`ll be drenched and they`ll see us coming", Jiminy said, peering into a crack of the wooden door. He shook his head again.

Just then a thought clinked in Lampwick`s head . He saw a crate covering a section of the wall , as Lampwick walked over to it he saw that the crate was covering a crack . Pushing it aside he saw a rather large crack , just big enough for him to get in . Smiling he whistled over to his best friend . He motioned them towards the wall and pointed to the crack. "Perfect " Pinocchio said .

The two squeezed in and they were on the dark side of Pleasure Island . Before them a wall of crates , some filled with tiny braying , weeping donkeys . Lampwick could hear the Coachman `s demands to his cloaked henchmen over the brays of the boy-turned-donkeys . "Keep it moving , you Blokes ! We haven`t got all night !" Pinocchio was horrified hearing it for the first time . Lampwick simply nodded , meaning "This is the fate for everyone who doesn't escape ." Lampwick began to climb the wall of crates to look out and see how he could trap the Coachman .Looking over the vast sea of little crates and crying donkeys Lampwick could spot the coach with the donkeys that pulled it up all harnessed . Lampwick could see Alexander looking remorseful but yet hopeful . Lampwick knew Alexander and the others were waiting for him to free them from their cursed bodies. Sighing Lampwick saw the Coachman`s dark and cloaked assistants pull donkey boys from a line and place them in front of their cruel enslaver ." And what might your name be ?"he asked each of them and the poor little donkeys brayed in reply , only making their fate worse. After each little donkey brayed the Coachman laughed maniacally and striped the poor unfortunate donkey boys of their former human clothing.

Lampwick had flashbacks of when he was pulled into line and knocked in to a crate for the salt mines . He knew what those boy s where going through , he knew it all too well . He was nothing but a mere animal just a year before , but inside he was nothing short of a human 13 year old . _I gotta go through with this _ he thought twiddling with his thumbs .

They had reviewed the plan during the time they were in the pool hall , and Lampwick had to say it was a good plan . But it wasn`t exactly fool proof . The Coachman might catch them and turn them into a donkeys . Lampwick feared this , he didn`t want to be a donkey ever again .

Pinocchio who had climbed up looked out and was even more filled with shock .After a few minutes he winked towards Jiminy "You know the plan Jiminy ." Jiminy nodded and left hopping down the crates , determined to help the boys from their horrid fate. Pinocchio then turned to Lampwick and said " Let`s go save those boys . "

Lampwick sighed - once , twice , three times - and leapt down from the top crate , cringing at the sound of each donkey`s bray . He finally got to a level of the sea of crates where it was filled with little jacks , weeping for their mommas. When they saw a human teenage boy they brayed in happiness and envy . Lampwick nodded and placed his finger to his lips . They donkeys immediately understood and shut up as Lampwick flipped the switch of the crate`s lock . Jiminy explained what the donkeys where to do next with their newly unlocked confinement as Lampwick left to help another crate .

Lampwick got to another crate and repeated the process - shutting up the newly transformed donkeys , unlocking their prison - and he was quite successful until he reached one at the bottom level .As he opened one of the crates he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder - the Coachman . Lampwick , fear clearly in his eyes , looked back at his nemesis . "You missed one !" The Coachman said . Lampwick threw the Coachman's hand off of his shoulder and began to run around the loading area , but every where he looked someone was there to catch up with him . He was about to climb another wall of unfilled crates until he tripped over a shoe lost by one of the boy-donkeys and knocked down on the dirt ground.

"Well ,well ."The Coachman said shaking his head . "A donkey in human clothing . She does well to masquerade you , but she cannot fool me ." Lampwick began to edge closer and closer to the crates , the only way out . The coachman shook his head again muttering "Tut , tut . " He picked Lampwick up by his white and very loose shirt . Lampwick feared for what was going to happen next , and closed his eyes . The Coachman then sighed and threw Lampwick against another wall of crates labeled "Sold to the Salt Mines " with a bang . Lampwick had hit the wall so hard his head began to ache . Looking down at his bare feet , to his horror , not to human but hooves of a donkey .He got up on his feet and saw he had a tail . In panic he looked at his hands and they melted away into two shiny black hooves . Lampwick felt as a two-edge sword was cutting through him ,his transformation back into a jackass more painful than the first . All this time the Coachman and his assistants laughed manically at the helpless boy who couldn`t even scream for help .

When he reached to the position on four legs , he felt agony of losing his humanity - again . He had made so much of effort to prove that he wanted to be a boy more than anything . He got good grades in school , worked hard as an apprentice , and he didn`t fall into his urges . But nothing could save him now , the Coachman had found out and Lampwick was a donkey again .

Meanwhile , as Pinocchio saw his best friends transformation back into a donkey , he unlocked more and more of the crates , telling donkeys that when he shouted "Attack " everyone was supposed to jump out of their crates and attack the evil henchman . Jiminy was doing the same . Pinocchio and Jiminy knew their friend was in trouble so , hiding behind the wall they each took a deep breath and shouted on the top of their lungs "AAATTTTAAAAACK!!" The henchman and Coachman raised their heads only to be trampled by jackasses angry with their in slavers . "Get off ! Pathetic asses !" The Coachman yelled as a donkey began to trample like it was the Rough House all over again.

Donkey boys began a raging war on the henchman . All of them using their newly transformed bodies as weapons , their powerful hooves to kick , fore hooves to push , and heads to butt like a goat. Pinocchio allied the donkeys and began stuffing henchman into crates - and locking them .Occasionally , a few of the boy-turned donkeys where captured by the henchman , so Pinocchio and a few of the others had to open the crates again. On the Coachman side it grew fewer and fewer as the cloaked men began to be place in their prison . Lampwick joined in the raging war on Pleasure Island , the only mute donkey that was still in clothing . Lampwick couldn`t bray a piercing bray like the others , but he was much stronger than the others and kicked twice as hard .

Pinocchio began to attack the Coachman along with three or four donkeys . But he was much stronger than the henchman and used his whip in self defense . He banged the whip against each donkey and they all brayed in pain , but it was when he used the whip against Pinocchio that scared Lampwick the most . An ear piercing , haunting scream filled Pleasure Island , the same scream Lampwick wanted to scream when he was first whipped in the salt mines . Lampwick aboned the fight against one of henchman and ran over to his best friend to see if he was okay . Pinocchio`s white shirt drenched by blood and the cloth ripped into two halves to revile a raging red whipping mark.

Now Lampwick was really angry . First the Coachman trapped poor naive boys , then he made Pinocchio suffer through the pain Lampwick felt while being a donkey . It was too much to handle . Lampwick began to charge against the villainous Coachman , and deplete his weapon , his donkey hooves . The hooves pushed the Coachman back , but not fair enough to be mobbed into a crate . Frustration blurred the anger out of Lampwick`s mind , he was frustrated on how this villain wasn`t gonna fall into the trap .

The other donkey boys joined in with Lampwick but the Coachman was too strong to fall in the hands of a couple of jackasses . Lampwick , as a final resort , bit the Coachman `s glove cover hand with his buck teeth _. For once_ , Lampwick thought , _having an over bite really helps_ . The Coachman yelled in pain as Lampwick ran off . "Ass " he breathed . "Good for nothin` jackass . " The Coachman began to follow the donkey that bit him with his dagger in hand , ready to kill off the unwanted pest.

Lampwick ran in panic , up to the mountain of empty crates where he transformed back into a donkey . The Coachman was gaining on him , and Lampwick had no choice but to climb the mountain . It was much hard as a donkey without hands to grab the crates , but Lampwick began to hop up . Higher and higher they went , up to the very top . Dagger at hand , the Coachman was about ready to strike the little donkey . Lampwick , who had no weapon beside his powerful donkey body , was scared for his life . .

Lampwick panicked . He could hear his heart banging against his chest , partly from his newly transformed sense of hearing . Walking backwards he felt his foot leave the crater`s platform and become suspended in mid-air. The Coachman came close , his dagger for lethal intent . "Now I got you , pathetic donkey ." The knife jammed the air , and by some way , Lampwick was safe for now . If only there was a way Lampwick could get this Coachman once and for all . Lampwick got on his two hind legs , standing almost like the human he was inside . He pushed the Coachman right as he was going to stab Lampwick again . The dagger only scrapped Lampwick`s chest , making him bleed . The Coachman then lost his balance and began to tumble down the side of the mountain of crates . An avalanche of boxes followed behind him ...

Lampwick swiveled on the top crate , he was going to fall .. He soared down the crates as they tumbled after him . He banged his head on the solid ground . Hidden by crates he lost consciousness and the world blacked out .

As the Coachman finally reached the bottom of the mountain , donkeys and a little boy greeted him by kicking him in the face . Pinocchio grabbed the Coachman by his red coat . "No ! I can`t be deafted by a bunch of jackasses ! It can`t be done !" He cried as he was dragged into the crate . "Get me out of here you filthy donkey !"He said pointing to Alexander .

"I`m not a donkey ; I'm a boy !" Alexander said mightily kicking the Coachman into he face . "And I learned my lesson .You gotta work hard for anything pleasurable!" The crate`s door shut and it was locked imeadtily by Pinocchio .

Pinocchio and the rest cheered with joy over the shouts of the Coachman and his assiants . "Lampwick! "Pinocchio cried panting after he and the others jumped and danced in happiness of defeating their hated enemy. "Lampwick we trapped him ! We won! And it was all because of you! ...."

Pinocchio was to happy too notice his best friend hadn`t moved since he had dropped of the crate . "Lampwick ?"

Pinocchio cried out Lampwick`s name frantically throwing fallen crates this way and that in search for his toungless best friend friend . Donkey boys and Jiminy behind him . Pinocchio found the limb and lifeless body of his pal. "Lampy ? Are you okay ? Blink if you can hear me ! ..."but Lampwick`s eyes were clearly closed , shut tight , forever. Jiminy hopped up on Lampwick`s bloody chest and pressed his head to the fur . It seemed as if the entire island had fallen silent , waiting for the answer ...

Jiminy lifted his head from Lampwick`s body and sighed stating "I can`t make out a heartbeat ..."He sighed .Pinocchio clasped his hands around his mouth , shaking his head in disbelief , and tears staining his pale white face. "No! No! I He can`t be !"

Jiminy nodded . "He isn`t breathing Pinocchio ..." then the conscience sighed again . Sure Lampwick was a jackass when he met him , but Jiminy knew one thing that many people forget to remember ... people can transform for the better . Bad boys can become good , and that what Lampwick was ... he was a good kid . He had grown studious and kind , knowing the error of his ways . Lampwick had really deserved this , he deserved his second chance as a boy .

Pinocchio kneeled down by the unresponsive and cold donkey body that was once his friend`s ,tears rolling down his checks to a puddle on the ground. He placed his head against Lampwick`s chest ,bloody and no heartbeat heard , and wept silently.

Lampwick was Pinocchio`s best friend . Pinocchio never got to hear his friend`s voice , for he traded it to be human again .All that year Pinocchio relied on head and hand gestures to know what Lampy was thinking, and he wished that could change . Pinocchio knew the Blue Fairy would of rewarded Lampwick for his noble deed with his voice , but now all chances where gone . Lampwick was gone , forever .

Jiminy took of his hat , and the donkey boys knew that Pinocchio had lost some one very dear . They drooped their ears in mooring , weeping for Pinocchio .

But Pinocchio and the rest where to busy mooring the death of Lampwick to notice that a blinding white light surrounded Pleasure Island , and Lampwick and the others` bodies changing ....

**Now do you really think that **_**I **_** would want to keep the hero of this story dead ? Heck no ! Next chapter is coming right up after I finish the edits ...**


	8. Lampwicks Voice

Pinocchio looked up , eyes stinging with tears .Lampwick had stopped the Coachman at the highest price ... He was lost forever and Pinocchio could do nothing about it but be sad .

Pinocchio e looked up at the night sky, the wishing star above him ."Why ? " he breathed through his tears . "Why did it have to end like this ?"The light of the wishing star vibrated and seemed to come close to the Earth , a shooting star . Angelic music filled the air , and blinding light illuminated Pleasure Island and the boys , who didn`t notice . Lampwick`s body was also surrounded in crystal light . A voice , the voice of the Blue Fairy echoed through the loading area "Prove yourself brave , truthful , and unselfish , and someday you`ll have your voice back . Awake Lampwick , awake ..." A golden light came flying down from the heavens came towards Lampwick`s still and dead body , barely seen through the light . Light vanished to see Lampwick, fully human and breathing, lying on the cold , hard ground . Pinocchio gasped and his eyes widen with joy .

Lampwick opened his eyes , peering at the world . He sighed and pulled himself up "Oh man! " He muttered rubbing his head in gasping pain ." My heads aches , my back aches ," He groaned

Pinocchio gasped again shouting "Lampwick ! Your alive and a boy again ... and you can TALK!"

Lampwick didn`t hear his best friend for he was still in agonizing pain . " I`m surprised I didn`t get brain damage or somtin, ..."The it occurred to him . For the first time in 4 years , words came out of his mouth .He gasped . "I can TALK !" He shouted his eyes moved from Pinocchio to his human legs . He got up , smiling , and looked down at his two feet . H

"Well , he got his happy ending , but it didn`t save us !"A boy s muttered , eyes never leaving Lampwick and Pinocchio . He then gasped realizing brays didn`t censure his words . Then he looked down . He was standing on two legs again ! He had hands ! By some miracle he was fully clothed !

Looking around , everyone had turn to boys again . They all stood on two legs , throwing up their caps up in the air , jumping and dancing about . The cheers where twice as loud than when they were enjoying Pleasure Island. Never had Pleasure Island been lighten up with such joy and happiness .

Lampwick looked around at the cheering boys . They had turned human again because they stopped the Coachman , something that many donkey-boys longed to do to regain their humanity . He had done it , no one was gonna fall in the evil grasp of Pleasure Island . Pleasure Island would stay forever as an old abandon carnival on the sea , never to see the light of fireworks and happy children again . Lampwick was glad that it would stay that way , for that`s the way it should of been all along . The Coachman would never again make profit from stupid little boys .

Then it came to Lampwick , he no longer heard the demands of the Coachman telling the boys to let him out . Lampwick walked over to the crates . Empty . "Hey Pinokey ! He`s gone ! " he said pointing to the wide open door of the crate .

Pinocchio came over and began to fret "What if he is on the lose ?"

"Nah , he has to be gone . She wouldn`t allow a criminal like that on the loose . "Jiminy reassured looking up at the vast stars . "I think he`ll never work in this part of Italy ever again ..."

Trouble then made the boys stop their rejoicing . They had no way off the island, no way to go home . Frantic chatter between the boys , made Lampwick think .

""We could swim !" One said . Groans filled the crowed of boys who remarked about how stupid that kid was .

"No , it could never work "Lampwick said "It`s many miles until we even reach shore , let alone the village .We`d all be exhausted by the time we even get halfway there. "

"How about the boat ?" Another one said. Boys nodded and said "That`s a great idea !"

"The boat ? Well ,does anyone here know how to work one ?..." Lampwick asked the crowd . The boys stopped their chatter about the boat.

Nothing seemed to work , no way off the island . They were trapped .Until the bright light came shooting down , all hope seemed lost ...

The Blue Fairy came down from a cloud of white light , as graceful as ever .The other boys took off their caps , whispers of "Are we dead ?" went through the crowd . She approached Lampwick , who bowed politely and took of his bowler hat .

"Hello Romeo . " She said , her voice ringing in the silence of Pleasure Island .

"Your real name is _Romeo _ ?" Pinocchio asked quietly . Lampwick turned around briefly , but then gazed back at the Blue Fairy .

"You have deafted the Coachman... You have helped save the lives of thousands of little boys who thought they`d never be able to see their home again . Because of your un-selfish act , I have given back your voice , you have earned it back because of your transformation into a good boy . I have save the boys that still reside in the salt mines , the circuses , and farms . They all have turned back to their original form , some are even grown men . Unfortanly , I could not save your friends who passed away in the time of being a donkey . They are the lost souls of Pleasure Island ... never to be delivered from this evil . "She said with sadness in her crystal blue eyes.

It made Lampwick`s heart burn with sadness thinking of all those great friends he had lost forever . Their mommas must be worried sick about them , but their sons weren't coming home with the rest. The lost donkey boys where gone .. . forever. Yet now , Lampwick thought that maybe they`d would of been at peace knowing everyone else was saved . "I understand , there was nothing you could of done . "

"Now Romeo , you home and mother awaits your return . You have been missed . And now that you are a boy and have your voice back , don`t you agree that now is the perfect time to make amends with your family ?" The Blue Fairy said her light blue robe blowing in the June morning wind . "All of you boys have been missed . " She said motioning to everyone . "Your families want you back ..."

"But I don`t have a family ..."Lampwick said coldly turning his glance from the Fairy to the dirt ground and his bare feet .

"Romeo I understand you feel betrayed by your mother . And though it was wrong for her to date Marko when she was still married to your father , she needed someone else in her life , someone who wasn't a drunk . " The Blue fairy walked over to Lampwick , as graceful as a bird on air . She lifted up his chin making him look at her . " But all can be forgiven .She will forgive you for running away, after all you are her only son . Can you find it in your heart to forgive your mother ?"

Sighing Lampwick nodded. "I can ... I don`t have another family anyways . I`m ready to go home."

"Very well. You boys will all be transported back to the shore..." She pulled out he glising wand . "You`ll be home . "

"Home "Alexander breathed . "Home sounds swell..."

**Last chapter is coming out soon . I`m a bit sad to leave these characters and this plot , but I have been writing it since October . I hope your liking the ending and I can`t wait for reviews !**


	9. Making Amends

**The last chapter of A New Me is finally here! If you would be kind enough , please review and tell me if you liked it. I`d love to hear anything you have to say about it.**

**Disclaimer: I don`t own the last bit of the fic, it belongs to Disney. **

The next thing Lampwick felt was the water cooling his bare feet, sea foam circling his ankles. The night was cool and his red hair was blowing in the wind. As he looked around, every other boy was soaking in the pleasure of the icy water chilling their feet, something they couldn`t have felt as donkeys. It was still dark outside, crickets chirping in the forest and seagulls squawking along the rocks. Pleasure Island`s black shadow could still be seen in the distance, nothing but a lump in sea. Lampwick breathed in the cool air, looking up in the sky.

Lampwick was at peace knowing that nobody could ever again turn into a donkey and be sold for profit. Every one of those boys was going to be back home, safe and sound. Lampwick motioned for the boys to follow him, to go home.

The procession of boys was silent ,each one amazed by their transformation.

On the cliff and on a dirt road through a small forest they walked, exchanging stories about their families, their brothers and sisters, but mostly their mothers. It was still dark outside and the moon was high above them. Lampwick and Pinocchio began to talk about all that had happened, something they could never have done a year before.

Lampwick noticed his voice had been transformed during the time that he was mute. It had deepened, sounding much more like a man`s than it did years ago. But Lampwick also looked much more like a man then he did years before, and now he had a voice to match .

The group reached the cobblestone walkways of the village, their old home. Their bare feet tapped against the stone in the darkness, their bright and happy faces illuminated by the gas lights on the streets of the village. The night watchman of the town was the only one on the street and he stared warily at the procession of boys. The gang stopped and Alexander stood next to Pinocchio and Lampwick, his brown hair blowing in the wind. His eyes moved to a tiny little cottage with the kitchen window light on revealing a woman standing at a stove, cooking breakfast. Alexander`s brown eyes lit up and he shouted joyfully "That`s my home!" He ran towards the door and knocked loudly. "Mama! Mama! It`s me! Alexander! I`m home!"

Lampwick next saw the mother come to the door and exclaim "Alexander! My son"! She wept as she held the little boy close to her heart. "Promise me that you`ll never run away like that ever again!" Alexander embraced his mother and happily replied "I promise mama, I promise!"

The others all began to run towards their houses and Lampwick could hear the joyous cries of reunited brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers. By the gas night lights, Lampwick could see, through the shades of windows, people hugging, laughing, and rejoicing. It seemed that everyone in the village had woken up and come out in to the streets with their night shirts and caps on to see what all the commotion was.

Occasionally, boys jumped out of their mama`s arms, ran to Lampwick and said "Thank you! Thank you Lampwick, for everything!" and to Lampwick's surprise, they hugged him.

"You`re welcome" Lampwick said smiling. "Just live the best life you can ..."

"Oh I will" replied the boys in chorus, rejoining the celebration.

Soon, Lampwick and Pinocchio left the crowded and happy streets of the center of the village to the outskirts of town. They had reached farm territory and they could see barns ahead on the grassy hill. Lampwick approached one of them and inside, he saw that, where the donkeys had slept, a few boys dreamed on, unaware of their transformation back into boys.

The twosome moved on. They reached a little peasant home and Lampwick looked at the home in fear. "That`s my house ..." he said quietly. He brought his left hand up to his mouth and began to bite his nails, something that always comforted him in times of fear. Slowly he moved his free hand toward the doorknocker, but then pulled it away. "Oh, I can`t go home! Can`t I just stay an apprentice at your fathers workshop? " he asked.

Pinocchio shook his head. "Lampy, your momma must be worried sick about you..."

"But my momma married another man; she betrayed me!" Lampwick said. He continued to bite his nails and look helplessly at the home. "Besides, I ran away from home. What if she doesn`t want to remember me?" Lampwick began to bite his nails again.

Jiminy, now on top of the gas lamp on the side of the road said "Lampwick, you`re her son and she`ll love you no matter what".

At Jiminy`s wise words Lampwick ceased his biting of his nearly destroyed nails. He sighed heavily and began to walk towards the doorknocker but he hesitated for a minute. Turning around he saw a smiling Pinocchio and ran towards him. "Thanks Pinokey!" he said, hugging his best friend. "You've been a great friend and I don`t know what would have happened to me if you did not come along".

Pinocchio smiled and embraced his friend. "You're welcome", he breathed.

Lampwick let go of his friend and walked to the door. Turning around again, he saw Pinocchio, with Jiminy standing on the little boy's shoulder. "Go on ..."

Lampwick sighed deeply and walked up the path to the front porch. He grabbed onto the door knocker and knocked three times.

Lampwick then heard a woman cry from inside "Oh, who could that be at this time?"

The door opened and Lampwick had to look down at his mother. "Hi momma".

"Romeo ..." she breathed. She exploded with joy and hugged her son. "You've come home!" Tears rolled down her freckled cheeks as she held the thing dearest to her heart, her boy, her Romeo. Pinocchio stood and smiled saying to his conscience "Let`s go home Jiminy". And with that the two walked down the country road back to the village.

"Yes, I have come home", Lampwick said. And for once in a long, long time, his bravado and self-pride slipped away and he allowed himself to weep. "I`m home ... I`m home .. I'm home ..." he repeated, barely grasping the idea that after so long, he was welcomed home with open arms.

Lampwick`s mother let go of her son and noticed how much he had grown since she last saw him. "My goodness, you`ve grown! You`re practically a man now ..."

"I`ll be 15 in July" he replied.

"I know that ..." she said and hugged him again. "Oh Romeo, I was so worried that something ... something _awful _happened".

"It's okay Momma, I`m fine" Lampwick said, letting go and placing his hand on her shoulder.

"But where have you been?" she asked, looking up to give a curious glance at her returning son.

Lampwick grabbed his right arm and squeezed it. "That might take some time ... and it`s best you sit down while I tell this".

The two went into the kitchen of the cottage and Lampwick`s mother called her husband - now Lampwick`s stepfather - down to the breakfast table. She poured some tea and Lampwick let the words of his amazing and tragic tale leap from his lips to their ears. They nodded as he explained that he was living with other bad boys and how he was offered a swell time at Pleasure Isle. He told them of the curse that came to the no-goods on the island and how he fell into the trap, and became a Salt Miner`s donkey.

Lampwick`s momma began to cry and said "I could have done something! I could have saved you ...".

Lampwick shook his head and grabbed his mother`s shaking hands. "You couldn`t have momma. I was stubborn and stupid, I would of never listened to you. I was just a bad kid and I deserved what I got" .

Lampwick continued the story with his transformation back into a human with the help of the Blue Fairy. He told them of the price he had paid to wish to become human and how tough it was to communicate in the year that he was silent.

When Lampwick finished the tale with his retelling of the battle between the donkey boys and the vile Coachman and his helpers. "As you can see" he said at last "I`ve done a lot in the last 4 years".

"Indeed you have ..." his momma said after he finished speaking. "But I`m just happy to have you home!" She embraced her son.

A little while later the family ate breakfast together for the first time, with four members. Isabella, his little stepsister, was pleased to have an older brother who could play games with her and read her stories. She was fascinated by his retelling of where he had been, although at the end she said, "Romeo, did you make that up on your own?"

"Maybe I did. After all, one chooses his own life, and builds a story from it." Lampwick said, shrugging and finishing his toast.

Just as Lampwick began to spread jam on another piece of toast, a booming knock came from the door. Lampwick`s momma went to answer it and Lampwick could hear the conversation from the table. "Bongiorno! What can I do for you?" she said.

"I'm here to talk to your son, Romeo. We need to take him to the jail and question him ..."

_"Question him?" _

"Yes, it is very important that we do it now".

"But you don't understand officer! He just came home, what trouble could he have caused?"

"Oh no miss, he`s not in trouble. No, he is to be rewarded!"

"What?"

"He has captured a criminal, a kidnapper" the officer said. "If he could just come down to the station to answer a few questions, then he shall receive his reward money".

"Gee, a reward!" Lampwick heard his mother say. "Romeo, could you come here a moment?"

When Lampwick came in, the officer immediately recognized him. "You! It was you who captured that criminal? Ironic how such a troublemaker could do such a noble thing."

"I know, I know" Lampwick said. "I was a bad kid, but 4 years can really make an impact on a person's life."

The officer nodded. "I see. Now if you would be so kind to follow me to the court and answer a few questions, I can give you a rather handsome reward."

* * *

As the red head and the policeman reached the court, they went into a nicely furnished room. The officer took off his coat and hat and placed it on a rack. Sitting down behind his desk he began to speak, "Last night, two men came in to the jail, one, a policeman from another town with him, a coachman. When the Coachman was questioned, he said that he and many others were guilty of kidnapping boys and turning them into donkeys. Of course, we had no other evidence that he did it, so we were going to put him in the stocks for an hour or two. But grown men started flocking into the station, claiming some man had turned them into donkeys, some from 20 years ago. When we looked up their records, they went missing, true to their word, 20 years ago."

Lampwick nodded. "Yes, he turned me into a donkey as well. He turned all bad boys into donkeys."

Lampwick did the best he could at explaining Pleasure Island and the battle with the Coachman. "It's true, every word they say."

The officer nodded. "For the past 30 years, women have claimed that their sons have gone missing and we set up searches. Rewards offered to anyone who could find them. And you have boy, you have." The policeman opened his desk to pull out a box of cigars. He plucked one for himself and offered Lampwick one. " Smoke?"

"Oh, no thank you" Lampwick said, even though his fingers and mouth twitched for the taste of tobacco.

"There have been so many boys who have gone missing and almost everyone has been found, except a few ... where are they?" The policeman inhaled the cigar and sent rings of smoke from his pursed lips.

"They are dead sir" Lampwick replied and looked down, feeling the loss of some of his friends. After that, he stated that so many boys died of starvation, pain, overwork, and grief.

"I see. Well, give me a minute to come up with your reward for capturing the kidnapper and finding the lost boys." The officer left for ten minutes and when he came back, he had a piece of parchment in his hand. He slipped it into Lampwick's hand. When Lampwick opened the paper he saw the reward amount and let out a gasp. "_That_ _much_? But sir I couldn`t ... "

"You must. You have solved the mystery of the lost little boys and returned nearly all of them home. Any boy who has done that has earned the money. It is all yours ..."

"No it isn`t, not entirely mine sir. Half of this belongs to my best friend, Pinocchio, who has stuck with me through it all" Lampwick said, pushing the paper back across the desk. "And I`d like some of it to go to the orphans, the boys with no families. Though I can`t give them the love and joy of a real family and a real home, a donation should help. "

The officer nodded one last time. "Very well Romeo. If that is the way you want it, I shall reduce it to this to keep for yourself." Then the officer took out a quill and scribbled out the math and placed the note back into Lampwick`s hands. Lampwick looked at the sum and then he glanced up, smiling a broad grin. "It is just enough for my family to move to a new house and have good food for the rest of their lives ."

* * *

Later that night, Lampwick was lying down on his bed, trying to go to sleep. The night`s cool air came through his window and made his soft curtains blow around. He turned around to face the window and looked up to see the glowing wishing star once again .

Everything was perfect. It was hard to wrap his mind around the fact that he was a donkey just one year ago and his life had been miserable and lonely. He had suffered great trials and tribulations, but now his life was swell. It was all the work of the Blue Fairy. Nothing would of been possible without her ...

Looking up from his bedroom window he said "Thank you Blue Fairy, thanks for everything. "

The star twinkled back as if to say "You're welcome ..."

_"When your heart is in your dream no request is too extreme ...._

_When you wish upon a star your dreams come true..."_

**THE END**~~~


End file.
